Getting Ready For Your Photo Session
Preparing For Your Shoot Day
• Home will need to be fully staged and ready to be photographed on the day of your shoot. Keep this in mind when scheduling your appointment. Please follow these tips for a successful shoot!
EDGE Tip: For best results, hire a professional home stager!
• Your seller will be moving soon so now is the time to start the de-cluttering process. Set a realistic goal and plan your photo session accordingly.
• Use garages, closets, and any other rooms or storage spaces that won't be photographed to hide items removed during de-cluttering process.
• Less is more! If you're on the fence about keeping or removing an item, it's probably best to lose it.
• Make sure the interior is swept, vacuumed, dusted, etc. just ahead of shoot day. Wipe off window smudges.
• Replace burned-out light bulbs! Seriously. All of them. This is an example of bang-for-your-buck - a quick fix that will improve your pictures and showings dramatically!
• Schedule a landscaper to tidy up yard a day or two prior to photo shoot.
• If the home has a pool and you would like to showcase it in pictures, please make sure it's clean and maintained.
• Prepare to hide any remaining personal items, family photos, etc. on shoot day.
On Shoot Day
• Home should now be in ready-to-be-photographed condition. Please make sure your clients understand this. If photographer arrives and the home is not photo ready to your level of satisfaction, you'll have the choice to either reschedule the appointment or be charged for additional time on-site.
• Realistically we can adjust a small item here and there to improve the composition but we are not a maid service. Moving items from room to room while we wait may incur overtime fees of $50 / half hour. It's also not fair to the next agent's schedule.
• Keep family members, guests, and bystanders to a minimum. It is best if homeowner is not present during the few hours it takes to shoot the home.
• Turn on all lights.
• Ceiling fans off.
• Remove throw rugs if there is nice flooring underneath or if they distract.
• Adjust furniture, pillows, accent pieces, etc. to your preference.
• Open curtains and window blinds as necessary to let in natural light, show views, etc.
• Hide garbage cans in garage if possible.
• Please have a plan to keep pets out of photographer's way.
• Do not schedule maintenance or other contractors on the day of your shoot as they interrupt our workflow and may cause certain angles to be unusable.
• Lastly, please stay out of the way once the photography has started.